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Dr. Scott Atlas Has an Important Clarification About His Tweet Responding to New Michigan Lockdown

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  November 16, 2020 8:36 AM

On Sunday evening Dr. Scott Atlas responded to news that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was planning a “three-week pause” as cases of coronavirus in the state surged, arguing that the only way lockdowns will end is if freedom-loving people “rise up.”

“The only way this stops is if people rise up. You get what you accept. #FreedomMatters #StepUp” he said, sharing news about the order, which halts in-person learning and shuts down indoor dining, stadiums, theaters, and more. 

By "rise up," Atlas, a Hoover Institution senior fellow and adviser on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, most certainly did not mean "violence."

"Hey. I NEVER was talking at all about violence. People vote, people peacefully protest. NEVER would I endorse or incite violence," he clarified in a follow-up tweet. "NEVER!!"

"In the spring, we listened to public health experts and saved thousands of lives together," Whitmer said on Sunday. "I am personally asking each and every one of you to channel that same energy and do everything in your power to protect our communities from this virus and save lives again."

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Update: Responding to the tweet on MSNBC, Whitmer said "it actually took my breath away."